Device to produce sleep inducing sound



June 21, 1955 M. H. LEAVENWORTH DEVICE To PRODUCE SLEEP INDUCING SOUND Filed Dec. 9, 1953 Max h! L eavenworfh INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent DEVICE T0 PRODUCE SLEEP INDUCING SOUND Max H. Leavenworth, Dallas, Tex. Application December 9, 1953, Serial No. 397,235

Claims. (Cl. 128-1) The invention relates to devices for producing sound and more particularly to a medium for producing a sleep inducing sound.

Noises, especially the confused mixture of sounds emanating from city traflic, or the extraneous nocturnal I noises such as the barking of dogs or crowing of roosters, all have the effect to destroy restful sleep. As far as is known, a householder, in order to exclude these and other sleep disturbing noises, must close his doors and windows, which is impractical and uncomfortable during hot weather. Air coolers have alleviated this condition to a certain extent but there are many, for various reasons, who cannot enjoy benefits of this medium. Therefore, another medium is needed which is both economical and efiective which will induce sleep by creating a sound which is soothingly pleasant to the ear yet of a quality to exclude extraneous noises which are harsh and irritating to one seeking rest and sleep.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the invention to provide a sleep inducing medium.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for producing a sound with or without cadence, inflection or modulation and creating a consonance or accord of sounds which produce an agreeable sensation in the ear having, for example, the effect of rain falling on a roof or the sighing of wind through trees which, to many people having difficulty in sleeping, is conducive to restful sleep.

Still another object of the invention is to'provide a sound producing device which may constitute an attachment to a conventional electric fan and consists of an air pervious mass of material in the form of a mat or pad having myriad interstices of many sizes and shapes and through which air is influenced by the fan and recirculated in close proximity to the fan by means of a hood embracing the eflluent area of the fan which may present a flat surface to the air stream or a curved surface such as may be formed by a concavo-convex hood.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when considered with the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an electric fan showing the invention attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the fan showing the invention in vertical section.

Figure 3 is a view taken on line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on a larger scale showing the manner in which the invention is attached to a fan.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the invention, reference numeral denotes generally an electric fan of conventional manufacture having a base 11, standard 12, motor 13, blades 14 and guard frame 15. A service cord 16 supplies the motor 13 with current and a switch 17 controls the current.

The invention consists of a mat or pad 18 of an entangled or interwoven homogeneous mass of preferably but not necessarily non-absorptive material such as metallic strands, glass fibers or the like which are formed into a disc-like body but not so compactly as to preclude ready passage of air excited by the blades 14'of the fan. Should the pad be composed of matted fibrous material, it may be held intact by means of a wire frame 180. The diameter of the pad 18 may be equal to or greater than the operative diameter of the fan blades 14 in order that a mat of one sizemay be applicable to fans of various sizes.

In order that the air passing through the mat 18 will be immediately recirculated therethrough, a baflile or hood 19 is disposed to enclose the front and the circumference of the mat by virtue of an annular flange 20 which embraces of the efiiuent area of the fan. The flange 20 causes the air to be returned to the .rear of the fan to enter the stream of air influenced into the fanand has the eifect to compensate for the increased load imposed by the attachment on the motor in interrupting the flow of air by cooling the motor. The hood or bafile 19 further contributes to the consonancy of the infinite range of vibrations caused by the passing of the air through the myriad interstices of various sizes and shapes in the mat 18. When it is not desired that air be freely circulated in a room, such as during winter months or when the device is used to soothe an infant to encourage sleeping, the baffle or hood 19 confines the circulated air to an area close to the fan.

One form of mounting the invention on a fan is shown in the drawing and consists of a bolt 21 having a head 22 on its inner end and which is passed through an opening made in the plate 23 in the centerof the blade guard 15, to extend through the geometrical center of both the mat 18 and battle 19. A castle or wing nut 24 is threaded onto the outer end of the bolt 22 to hold both the baflle and mat in position on the fan guard 15. 18 or between the mat 18 and the fan blades 14 may be accomplished in many obvious, ways, as desired.

If it is discovered by one seeking sleep that the swishing sound produced by the mat 18 is less conducive'to sleep than a sound without this effect, the mat 18 may be removed so that the air stream produced by the fan may impinge the baflie formed by the hood 20 and be recirculated as previously described.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall Within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for producing sleep inducing sounds comprising means for creating an air stream, a body disposed in the path of, said air stream having myriad interstices of various sizes and shapes through which at least a part of the air of said air stream creating means is caused to pass and means spaced from said body to effect recirculation of said air through said body by said air stream creating means.

2. A device for producing sleep inducing sounds comprising, in combination with an electrical fan, an air pervious body disposed in relation to said fan to constrain at least a part of the air stream of said fan to penetrate said body, said body having interstices of different sizes and shapes capable of producing sound when said air passes therethrough and means in spaced relation to said body for changing the direction of said air stream to effect its recirculation through said body by said fan.

3. A sound producing attachment for an electric fan comprising an air pervious body mounted on said fan in the path of the air stream produced by said fan, the openings in said body being minute and of divers shapes and sizes whereby to create a sound by'the passage of Relative spacing between the bafi le 19 and mat" airstherethroughs andmeans disposed forwardly of said howdy for directing air rearwardly of said fan for recirculation through said body.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which the air directing meansconsists of. a head having; a: flangexembraeing said body and in lcircumferenlially spacedrelationship therewith.

5 device ,for. producing sleep inducing sound comprisingzan air circulating fan, a body-composed of an interwoven V'mass 0f homogeneous material: disposed in the path of the air stream created by said fan, an air bafiie spaced forwardly of said bodyagainst which the airwsiream-impingesafter. passing; through said body,

said" Baffle being impervious to air'and having means about its perimeter to effect recirculation of the bafiied air through said body and means for securing said baffie to said fan.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

